Horse Transport at Sea

George Winegar, past president, Robert D. Campball award winner, and a member of Animal Transportation Association since its inception, gave an overview of historical horse transport at sea (remember that we as humanity have shipped by sea for much longer than we have shipped by trailer (150 years) and air (75 years).

The Ancient Romans first developed horse shipping, and improved techniques were made by the Arabic peoples in the time of the Bible (remember that these were ships powered by oars or sail.) Ships were built for this purpose and designed with stalls to hold horses. Some even had slings to support the horses in case of rough seas and could move 20-30 horses per trip. Some lifted horses like cargo with slings onto the ship; some loaded and unloaded directly from the beach; some loaded the horses through a door in the hull. Some, when unloading, pushed horses off the ship and let them swim for the beach

The use of the horse for Cavalry changed the importance from being ridden and pulling carts to direct action in warfare and made them even more important. (Many of us have heard the quote, “The success of man has been borne on the backs of our horses.” It is truer than I can convey here.) Thus, the Italians had the capacity to ship up to 100 horses for short transport in the Mediterranean documented before 1000 B.C. By the French invasion of England in 1066 (represented on the Bayeaux Tapestry) the Normans invaded with 2,000 to 3,000 horses for this campaign. After winning the war, they continued to import horses for improving bloodlines of their breeds.

Of course we know that by the time of the Spanish, French, and English colonial periods, horse transport by sea was extremely common. Shipping during this time had significant logistical obstacles. Consider the logistics of calculating the correct amount of water, hay, and feed for even a short trip with 20 horses across the ocean.

Many millions of horses were shipped for the two World Wars, using what had been learned over the centuries before and adapted to steam- and diesel-powered ships that shortened the trip.

Interestingly, there are no U.S. regulations that specify space requirements for horses in air transports (that is normally configured by the shipper based on the variety of horses’ size and temperaments) but there are for sea transport. And there is minimal published research conducted for this subject (Do horses get seasick? Physiological effects? Etc.) because so much of it was done based on what the stevedores’ knew. We do know that there were efforts to increase ventilation in the hold for the horses using windsails and cowls that forced air into the ship – but probably nowhere near the modern requirement of 45 changes of air in the space per HOUR. Horses must have excellent ventilation to prevent respiratory sickness. In modern times, we usually ship by air for small numbers of horses because of these concerns. Contemporary requirements USDA APHIS Part 91 regulations have more specifics on how transport and housing should be done for animals.

Even into the 1970s a shipment of over 100 horses from the UK to Australia (a distance of 12,500 miles) notes that they required their grooms to exercise the horses daily on the top deck. So they had learned that standing in stalls for long periods of time gave problems that could be minimized with exercise. They recommended that 2 horses be held in a pen that was able to hold 7 cattle – recognizing the need for horses to move around. And they had two large desalination processing stations to provide the fresh water needed by the animals as well as for the constant cleaning of the facilities. In 1983, to replace the destroyed livestock on Faulkland Island – a $165,000 shipment (called Noah’s ark) of numerous animals including 20 horses and ponies was coordinated by an ATA member who reported the challenges with having enough hay, water and food for them.

About the Author

REBECCA

Rebecca Gimenez, BS, PhD (animal physiology), Primary Instructor and President of Technical Large Animal Emergency Rescue. Her first book, Technical Large Animal Emergency Rescue, was published in 2008. She is an internationally sought instructor in technical rescue techniques, procedures, and methodologies, and she has published numerous critiques, articles and journal submissions on horse safety, technical large animal rescue and horse handling issues.

Comments

The views expressed in the posts and comments of this blog do not necessarily reflect those of The Horse or Blood-Horse Publications. They should be understood as the personal opinions of the author. All readers are encouraged to leave comments; all points of view are welcome, but comments that are discourteous and/or off-topic may be removed.

I am very sorry to hear that Dr. Winegar, a distinguished past president and active member of the Animal Transportation Association and numerous award winner, and United States Animal Health Association Life Member, just died this week at 78. I am so fortunate to have met him just last year.

More information forthcoming.

REBECCA

21 Apr 2013 10:12 PM

Very sorry to transmit this obituary...

George Owen Winegar, 78, of Howell, died unexpectedly Saturday, April 20, 2013 at the University of Michigan Hospital.

He was born August 30, 1934 in Handy Township, Livingston County to F. Claude and Marion E. (Gehringer) Winegar. He attended the one-room Griswold country school and graduated from Fowlerville High School in 1952. George was married to his high school sweetheart Lois B. A. Hicks on Dec. 19, 1953 in Howell. He attended MSU and graduated as a veterinarian in 1962. In 1973 he obtained his Master’s degree in microbiology from MSU.

He worked for 33+ years for Veterinary Services of the USDA, including disease testing in Michigan and a two year assignment in Nicaragua. His career culminated in his assignment to Asst. Deputy Adm. of Veterinary Services in Washington, DC. In this role he engaged in foreign travel negotiating animal health protocols while traveling to over 70 countries around the world.

George was interested in farming, genealogy, languages, local history and world travel. He was a life member of the American Veterinary Medical Assoc., past president of the Animal Transportation Assoc., a member of the Livestock Exporters Assoc. and Farm Bureau.

Visitation will be Friday, April 26, 2013 at 2:00 to 4:00 and 6:00 to 8:00 at MacDonald’s Funeral Home. Funeral services will be held Saturday, April 27, 2013 at 4:00 at First United Methodist Church, Howell. Burial of cremains will be at a later date in Lakeview Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be madein his name to the Fowlerville Alumni Association, 6436 N. Burkhart Road, Howell, MI 48855 or the Livingston County Genealogical Society, P.O. Box 1073, Howell, MI 48844. Please contact MacDonald Funeral Home with any further questions.

REBECCA

22 Apr 2013 10:19 AM

A favourite hymn of Dr. Winegar's was On Eagle's Wings. It reflects the care he so freely gave to his family, country and colleagues. He worked tirelessly on welfare issues of horses, and other animals, in transport. He and his wife Lois were in such mutual agreement with each other's interests that she won a special award from the international Animal Transportation Association for her support of his work. Their devotion to each other and keeping high professional and personal standards made knowing them as a couple a privilege, and a blessing. We will always remember how he lifted others on his wings, wings in turn lifted by his faithful relationship with a caring Creator.

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